A problem with setting up telecommunications connections today is the difficulty of locating called individuals who are highly mobile. This problem is partially alleviated by mobile telephone technology and radio paging systems. In one prior art system, described in copending application Ser. No. 07/843,685 assigned to the same assignee as the present application, a return telephone call is automatically placed from a personal communications unit of a called individual in response to a call from a caller and the called individual is alerted to the existence of the call placed to him only upon an indication that the call from the calling telephone remains in progress. This system assures the called individual that he will be connected to a call that continues to exist when the personal communications unit alerts so that he can speak to the calling party.
However, not all communication is in the form of voice. People also require information communication, which includes facsimile (fax) and data transmissions. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide information communication anytime and anywhere.
In one prior art solution for facsimiles, a facsimile transmitter initiates a call to the intended recipient's fax number, which is routed to a store and forward facsimile system. The facsimile system stores the transmitter's fax and then, in response to completion of the fax, transmits a paging signal to the pager of the intended recipient of the fax indicating that a fax is waiting. The paged recipient then proceeds to a facsimile machine which he uses to call into a predetermined number and retrieve his facsimile from the store and forward facsimile system.